


The Old Lioness

by Erainor



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-18
Updated: 2014-01-18
Packaged: 2018-01-09 04:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1141581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erainor/pseuds/Erainor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A very short AU where Tywin Lannister dies and Joanna lives.  Time divergence is at the time of Tyrion's birth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Old Lioness

The Old Lioness

AU where Tywin dies of a heart attack but Joanna lives after the birth of Tyrion.

Joanna Lannister promised herself that she wouldn’t cry at her husband’s funeral. She knew Tywin would not have wanted to see her cry in public. Instead, she held baby Tyrion close to her chest and murmured into his ear. Joanna promised her babe that she would love him and treasure him and that he was precious because Tyrion was her husband’s last gift to her. She was lucky to survive the birthing process, the Maesters said.

Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, and Hand of the King lay in state in the antechamber of Casterly Rock. Lords and Ladies from throughout the realm came to bear tribute to the Light of the West. Joanna appreciated that the realm had a mostly positive view of her late husband.

Naturally, the Reynes and the Castameres would have had a totally different opinion, if there were any members of those houses left to speak. Tywin’s legacy began to take shape before they were even married, and Joanna knew their marriage was truly one of love.

Her shining twins, Jaime and Cersei were acting very much the young versions of Tywin and herself that they were. Her Cersei with a cold glance when Lord Arryn dared to make a jest that was perhaps in poor taste. Her Jaime with comforting words, always with the right thing to say; at just nine years of age, he was Lord of the Rock now.

The King and Queen themselves had nothing but love for Joanna and Tywin. King Aerys still had love for her, but he was too respectful of Tywin’s memory to broach that subject now. Queen Rhaella had a very fake smile on her face as she steered her husband thru the crowds, as if she knew that her husband would rather be with Joanna.

Joanna continued to hold baby Tyrion as she greeted the mourners and well-wishers. She knew in her heart that she had a lot of work to do, if she was going to ensure her husband’s legacy. She would be Regent for Lord Jaime for a number of years to come, and she needed to ensure that both of her twins had good marriages, and that Tyrion would be loved and respected, despite his birthmarks and disability.

 

 

 

40 Years Later

Joanna knew she was dying as she laid in her bedchamber, with all three of her children, their spouses, and her eight beautiful grandchildren surrounding her. She had had a very full life, and now her family’s legacy was secure. There had been times over the decades that she wasn’t sure that she would ever be able to secure such a future for her house. The bloody transition from Aerys Targaryen to his son Rhaegar was brutal, nearly as destructive to the realm as the Blackfyre Rebellions of previous generations. Lord Robert Baratheon nearly overthrew the Targaryen dynasty, but when Aerys Targaryen was about to be defeated, he burned the city of King’s Landing to ash. Robert’s Rebellion was then thwarted by Rhaegar Targaryen and the realm was once again at peace.

Her eldest son Jaime, Lord of Casterly Rock married Elia Martell of Dorne, and they had two beautiful sons: Tywin, after her husband, and Gerion after Jaime’s favorite uncle. Elia had had a very hard birth after the second babe, but their family was whole and complete.

Her daughter Cersei married Oberyn Martell of Dorne, and they had three daughters: Nymeria, Sarella, and Tyene. There had been one black spot when Oberyn’s bastard daughter Obara Sand had come to Dorne seeking her father, but Oberyn and Cersei managed to maintain their relationship with a surprisingly fiery passion.

Her precious baby son Tyrion had perhaps done the best of all. He owned the greatest traveling performance company in all of Westeros. He married Margery Tyrell of Highgarden, and they had three children: Tytos, after his grandfather, Myrcella, and Tommen.

Joanna gave a short speech then, with nearly the last of her strength.

“Our House words are “Hear Me Roar” and you have all lived up to that creed. I have been truly blessed to hold eight beautiful grandchildren in my arms. I only wish that Tywin had lived to see how strong our family has become.”

With that, Joanna took two more breaths, and expired peacefully.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my answer to writer's block! Set the story aside and write something else.  
> (Not Reflections, that's done)


End file.
